The invention pertains to driving aids. More particularly, the invention relates to devices for maintaining the alignment of a vehicle with lane markers displayed on the road surface.
Various types of inventions have been developed for assisting a driver to maintain alignment of his vehicle with displayed lane markers; incorporating a number of different technologies. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,928,393 and 4,823,471 issued to Van Schaack disclose steering guides affixed to a vehicle windshield with suction cups or attached to a vehicle dashboard. Each incorporates a movable pointer for alignment with a roadway lane edge marker stripe.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,772,795 issued to Calvet, is directed to a range, trailing distance, and safe passing indicator for motor vehicle operators. The optical driving aid comprises a rectangular transparent plastic strip or patch attached to the inside of a vehicle windshield by utilizing a suitable adhesive. The strip is positioned to the left of the normal line of sight so that the operator can view the leading vehicle superimposed on the strip so that by determining as to which graduation mark line the bottom of the image falls will indicate the distance in feet between the vehicles. An alignment member in the form of a vertical rod mounted on the hood in alignment with the plastic strip can be used for a more accurate determination of distance.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,113, issued to Aquino is directed to a dash mounted vehicle lane and parking guide. The instrument panel of a vehicle is provided with a guide including a mat that is adhesively attached to the horizontal upper surface of the instrument panel. The guide has on the mat a number of lines to aid the driver in properly positioning the vehicle on the roadway. During daylight operation, ambient light allows the driver to clearly see the guidelines. During night use, illumination can be provided or back surface illumination used.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,142,013 issued to Gray is directed to a navigational aid for agricultural equipment in the form of a rail with indicia that is mounted on the inner surface of a vehicle window using pressure-sensitive adhesive. The navigational aid is a rail of plastic material having slots adapted to slidably hold a marker. The marker is positioned on the rail in the line of sight between the driver of the vehicle and the reference line so that he is aided in driving the vehicle to maintain the desired distance from the reference line, typically a plowed furrow.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,199,487 issued to Heinkel is directed to a vehicle guide to indicate to the driver when the vehicle is positioned in parallel to one side of the roadway. The vehicle can be fitted with two forms of vehicle guide that are elongated and are secured to the upper windshield frame molding and the dashboard. In addition to being positioned for aid in spacing the vehicle from curbing, the guide could be positioned for aiding in spacing the vehicle from the centerline or from left curbing.
While other variations exist, the above-described designs for lane alignment driving aids are typical of those encountered in the prior art. It is an objective of the present invention to provide a means to assist a driver to maintain alignment of his vehicle with displayed lane markers. It is a further objective to provide assistance in an inexpensive device that may be removably attached to the vehicle""s windshield with out tools or producing permanent damage to the vehicle or windshield. It is a still further objective of the invention to provide the above described capabilities in a device that obscures the road surface as seen through the windshield as little as possible while providing an alignment aid that is easily visible day or night. It is yet a further objective to provide a lane alignment guide that is easily adjustable, even while driving.
While some of the objectives of the present invention are disclosed in the prior art, none of the inventions found include all of the requirements identified.
The present invention addresses many of the deficiencies of lane alignment driving aids and satisfies all of the objectives described above.
A lane alignment driving aid may be fabricated from the following components. First and second lane alignment markers are provided. The markers have linear interior edges and are symmetrically spaced about a centerline. Means are provided for attaching the markers to a vehicle windshield such that the markers are aligned to bracket first and second edges of a displayed lane marker adhered to a road surface. When the alignment markers are attached to a vehicle windshield so that a driver seated in a vehicle can observe the displayed lane marker adhered to the road surface between the symmetrically spaced edges of the first and second lane alignment markers while driving, the driver will be more easily able to guide the vehicle in parallel proximity to a roadway lane edge.
In a variant of the invention, the means for attaching the markers to a vehicle windshield such that the markers are aligned to bracket first and second edges of a displayed lane marker adhered to the road surface includes a sheet of flexible, transparent material. The material has an inner surface, an outer surface and has the first and second lane alignment markers affixed to either the inner or outer surface. The linear interior edges of the lane alignment markers are visible to the driver in either ambient lighting or artificial lighting provided by headlights of the driver""s vehicle. Means are provided for removably adhering the sheet to the vehicle windshield.
In a further variant, the means for removably adhering the sheet of flexible, transparent material to the vehicle windshield is selected from the group including: rubber cement, moisture and static electricity.
In a final variant, the lane alignment driving aid includes graphic advertising disposed upon at least a portion of the sheet of flexible, transparent material.